Graeme McMillan

Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica isn't going to be an action adventure show, nor will it have any space scenes, according to creator Ron Moore. But does that mean that it's going to be... *gulp* boring?

Of course not.

Moore spilled the beans on what the Sci Fi Channel's new show - due 2010 - will provide:

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Remi Aubuchon had come to the studio with an idea to do something unrelated to "Battlestar" about robots and artificial intelligence and the creation of life, and when we started talking together, I got interested in the idea of doing a sci-fi show that was set on a planet, did not have an action adventure component to it, is even more of a character piece than "Battlestar," where it really has to live and die on its characters and its story without the Cylons attacking every week. Could you sustain a science fiction show in that kind of context? That's what got me excited... Surprisingly, this could be the one that sparks to a female viewership. There's always been a much higher male demo on "Galactica," because of the action adventure, the hardware component, and we think the character material might bring in more women... That'll be the challenge for marketing the show. You have to go out and convince people, "You may not like sci-fi, but you'll like this one." That's the angle they tried with "Battlestar," but there's still a spaceship going by and people may have turned it on, seen that and gone, "No" and turned it off. People shooting at robots, "No." In "Caprica," if we can at least get you to watch, you'll see people talking, and people in dramatic situations, and not stuff blowing up all the time, and hopefully we can get that slice of the audience.

Moore also talked about what shows influenced his writing of the final BSG episode (The Larry Sanders Show, surprisingly), and goes through a list of things that will and won't be addressed in the final episodes:

Obviously, the identity of the final Cylon, we will find this out?

Yeah.

The origin and nature of the Final Four and how they different from the rest of them?

Yes.

The origin of the rest of the skinjobs?

Yes.

What happened to Earth and what happened to the 13th Colony?

Yes.

Who, if anyone, is orchestrating all of this?

Basically, yeah. I don't know if it's going to be wrapped up in a neat bow. The show has an answer for it, whether it's a satisfying answer, I don't know.

Will "All this has happened before and it will happen again" be explained in some way?

Yes.

The opera house?

Yes.

What happened to Kara when she went through the Malestrom?

Pretty much.

Identity and nature of the "head" characters?

Yes.

Tigh and Six's baby, and whether that means Cylons can breed?

Yes. That's not a "yes" to whether they can breed — the question will be answered.

The fate of Boomer and whether there are other 1's, 4's and 5's floating out there?

Yes.

Roslin's health?

Yes.

Okay, that's a "yes" on all of them.

See? We knew what all the questions were! I'm kind of proud of myself. "Yes"es to all of them. I thought you were going to throw a curve at me, like, "Oh, (bleep)."

Okay, I admit it; I'm very excited to see what lies in store when Battlestar Galactica returns to screens January 16th.